Once again I appeal to the sage stitchers and handy hookers of this eclectic community for ideas and advice. Like many in the barmy yarner kommunity, my mind automatically defaults to reusing, recycling, refurbishing, and recreating. At least half of the yarns I knit with are recycled from sweaters gleaned from thrift shops or given to me by well-trained friends.

Then, there is the catagory of the previously-inhabited sweater that I can't wear or gift as is (too big/small, too dated, too odd, too genderally specific) but which has some appealing stitched element or motif, usually an unusual cable or a beaded/sequined stretch. My kraft-brain is telling me that these pieces ACTUALLY want to be refashioned as scarves, hats, and capes. I agree with my brain---it has often steered me wrong but generally has good intentions--- and am eager to make that happen. Most of the sweaters have these elements in the middles of the fronts and not along pickable seams, therefore need to be steeked.

So, steeking: I have steeked before but it didn't go well, way fiddly and lumpy with heart-stopping oopsys along the precarious path. I painstakingly handstitched the steek lines (with thread) and then cut between them. Didn't/don't have a sewing machine and don't want to buy one (have had two or three in the past, which were too complicated and frustrating to use and ended up jammed and broken). I recall hearing/reading that one could crochet the lines with complimentary yarn to secure stitches before steeking. Anyone done that? Good sources showing/explaining the hook's entry into the stitch in order to properly secure it? Alternatively, is there another good steeking technique that may be advised here?

Any ideas, suggestions, comments, shared experiences will be stolen welcomed!

Okay, I have no problems doing steeks. I love steeks. They let me knit round and round and then worry about stuff like fronts and armholes. I usually do a sew-and-cut steek. However, I've only done this on wool yarns. Does anyone have any experience with a sew-and-cut steek in a yarn which is not 100% wool? I'm thinking in particular of some Wool-Ease yarn I've had forever (I got it back when they were still using lambswool in the mix) which is 80% acrylic and 20% lambswool. I want a cardigan, but I don't particularly want to knit back and forth, and I definitely don't want to knit five pieces and seam them together.

Is it possible (or a good idea) to use steeks for armholes in a one-color project? I've never done steeks at all before, but I like the idea of being able to knit the whole thing in the round.

I'm currently working on Honeycomb from Knitty. The pattern is written for two flat pieces seamed together, but I've already adjusted the pattern to knit the bottom in the round. As I approach the armholes, I'd like to keep it in the round, if possible, since I have some gauge variation between flat and round pieces, plus I just prefer circular knitting.

I've only really heard of using steeks for two or more color knitting (esp. fair isle), but I'd like to think the theory could be used on any round garment. Any advice or opinions would be appreciated.

(I'm working with 100% alpaca, so I think the yarn should be "grabby" enough for a steek to work.)

For reasons I shall refrain from getting into, it's very, very difficult for me to do colourwork using the standard methods of either holding one strand over each finger or one strand in each hand. I would like to do a colourwork sweater (specifically Jade Starmore's Leo) as a gift for a very close family friend, but rather than using the aforementioned methods I'd like to do it as a slipped stitch piece (ie. Row 1A: Slip purl-wise all of the stitches that are meant to be blue and knit using yellow the stitches that are meant to be that colour; Row 1B: Slip purl-wise all of the stitches that are now yellow and knit with blue all of the previously slipped stitches). I know this will take at least twice as long to complete, but it's really the only way I can do it.

My one concern is that by using the slipped stitch method this will somehow affect my steeks. I can't really see how this would happen, but I've been known to be a bit of a dumbass in the past and just wanted to see what people who are better at this than I am think.

Reynolds Lite Lopi in colors 441 and 264 (I think..I don't have the ball bands handy). I had 1 ball of the MC and 2 balls of the CC leftover

Needles

Crystal Palace size 4 circs and dpn's.

Mods

Left out some waist shaping since I don't have much of a waist. Compensated for a growing row gauge by performing neck decreases more quickly. Didn't reinforce the steeks with crochet (yes, you read that right). Disclaimer here: Do not do like me unless you have an extremely sticky yarn like the lopi. This will not bode well for nice slick yarns.

Thoughts on the pattern

Many people are having issues with row gauge on this pattern, so I'd repeat the advice to swatch carefully so you don't have issues. I blame all row gauge problems I had on my lack of careful swatching, so my bad. The pattern is extremely detailed for the newbie steeker so I really appreciated that. I also want to shout out a big thanks to Eunny for charting the entire sweater. A less thorough designer would have just told me to continue the pattern through the shaping, but she gave me every single stitch on a chart. I love it. It kept me from making stupid mistakes like forgetting to start the arm-hole shaping while I'm busy thinking about the neck. I'd recommend this pattern to anyone.